Monday, September 24, 2007

Play Time (1967, Jacques Tati)

I was lucky enough that my first viewing of this film was in the theater. I have long heard of how brilliant,genius, and amazing this film was. I have long held off from viewing it because I was hoping that I would one day be able to see the new Janus/criterion print on the big screen since a couple of theaters around here have shown it in the past couple of years.

The wait was worth it and seeing Tati's elaborate sight gags on 70mm and on the big screen was just glorious. I even fear that watching it now on a normal tv will not do the film justice. Plus. the atmosphere of people laughing along with you added a lot to the fun of the film.

Tati's film is layered with gags to the point where there will be 3 gags going on in the same time, if not more. The gags also almost never stop and while there is no "main story" Tati's biting satire on the future is spot on and is always hilarious to see how his M. Hulot character goes from one scenario to another causing mayhem in this surreal universe where giant buildings of glass are the only things that seem to exist around the world.

I really just loved this film. I can not praise it enough. It is easily one of the best films I have ever seen and with only one viewing it has entered my top 20. It really is a masterpiece on every single level.

While reading up on the film I found this quote by Truffaut that perfectly sums up the film:

"a film that comes from another planet, where they make films differently"